The Fear of Being Alone
by Deplora
Summary: FINISHED Yuffie and Squall Leon both hate Valentine's Day, but why? Who could possibly hate the one day of the year set aside for people in love? Could it be because they feel they have no one to love?
1. Chapter One

Author's Note: Hi there! This is my third Kingdom Hearts story. Currently, I have one finished and I have temporary writer's block on the other (The Curse for the few faithful readers I still have.) So, this story was born because I have to write something. Originally, I was going to make a long one-shot, but after I began writing this, I decided I could turn it into a longer chaptered story. Yep, it's a Valentine's Day story. And it's going to be angsty for awhile. I hope to have it finished by Valentine's Day, since that is what the story revolves around, but you never know. And yes, it's a squffie with a dash of Cloud/Aerith thrown in. Anyways, enough rambling from me and on with the show. Please read and review. Reviews equal more chapters! Don't forget that!

Disclaimer: I don't know if people actually read these things or not, so we're going to have a little test to find out. I don't own Kingdom Hearts. But, if I could own something, or someone rather, from Kingdom Hearts and chain them to my bed, do you know who it would be? Come on, everybody. Try and guess! And I almost forgot, I don't own the title to this story either, it's a song title by Reba McEntire, I think.

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_THE FEAR OF BEING ALONE_

_Chapter One_

"I hate Valentine's Day," Yuffie mumbled, curling her lip in disgust, as she looked at the calendar, seeing how close to the aforementioned day they truly were. _Only one more week,_ she thought bitterly, _until_ _I remember once again how much it sucks being alone on Valentine's Day._ Squall sat across the kitchen at the table, quietly reading the paper, ignoring her, as usual. Yuffie walked over to the refrigerator and pulled out a Dr. Pepper before sitting across from the twenty-seven year old.

Squall lowered his paper to glare at her, especially eyeing her drink of choice. "You're not going to actually drink that this early in the morning, are you?" he asked, sickened by the thought of that much sugar so early in the day.

"Yeah, what's it to you, Squall?" the ninja said as she popped the top and took a large swallow of the sweet and bubbly liquid, smirking at him as she did so.

"Damn it, Yuffie! How many times do I have to tell you, my name is Leon! It's Leon! Is that so hard to remember?! Come on, say it with me now. L-E-O-N!" he growled, slamming his fist down onto the hard surface of the table.

"Sheesh! What's up your butt?" Yuffie stood up to leave the stoic man to himself in the kitchen as she went to the spacious library of Hollow Bastion to read something to take her mind off the upcoming holiday. She opened the large library doors and realized her mistake. There, under the stairs, were Cloud and Aerith, all over each other. There wasn't even enough space in between them for a few air molecules.

Aerith jumped when she heard the doors slam behind the eighteen year old ninja. The flower girl's face turned a few interesting shades of red before she was able to speak. "Oh, um, hi there, Yuf," she stammered. Cloud had backed away from his beloved so she could actually speak without it being muffled by his body.

"Geez, you guys, shouldn't you get a room or something. I might be blinded for life," Yuffie muttered as she turned around to leave the two lovers to themselves. As soon as her back was turned, Cloud had Aerith backed into a wall, assaulting her throat with his lips as she ran her hands through his spikey blonde hair.

Yuffie went back to the kitchen, hoping Squall had left it. No such luck, he was still sitting there reading the paper. He looked up at her as she slammed the door behind her, anger crossing her face. "Don't even ask!" she yelled at him as she plopped down in the chair at the table.

Squall sat there, staring at her, wondering why she had been so moody lately. One minute she was her normal perky self, the next she was throwing things and yelling. He was about to open his mouth to say something sarcastic, but decided he valued his life and wasn't quite ready to be murdered. He went back to the paper, reading an article about Valentine's Day. Oh, how he hated Valentine's Day. Sure it was great if you actually had someone with you, but when you were a loner, you just became sickened by the sight of all the couples strolling around, holding hands, making out. _Like Cloud and Aerith_, he laughed caustically.

"What are you laughing at?" the ninja demanded angrily of him, eyes glaring daggers at him. She hated it when they laughed at her expense, like they always did. She remembered all the times she had tried so hard to please Squall, only to have it backfire and have everyone laugh at her, not realizing how deep the laughs had cut. She hid the pain all too well behind her happy-go-lucky facade. They were all too stupid to see past the mask and see the hurt deep inside of her. And she hated them for it.__

"Nothing," Squall muttered, noticing the fury growing in her dark eyes. He had never seen her this enraged in the fifteen years he had known her. _What happened to the bubbly girl I once knew?_ he questioned himself, looking at her with an inquiring gaze. _But she's not a girl anymore, she's grown up_, _and I still treat her like a child._ "So, do you want to do anything today?" he asked tentatively, trying to bring back the sparkling personality that he missed.

She simply scowled at him, narrowing her eyes. "Since when does the 'Great Squall Leonheart' actually want to do something with me? I am just a child after all." Sarcasm dripped with the word 'child.' She recalled all the times those very words were thrown in her face when she tried to join Squall, Aerith, and Cloud when they went somewhere. Usually, it was Squall who said it. After all, he hated her.

"Fine! Have it your way, Yuffie! I was just trying to be nice." Squall rose indignantly from his chair, knocking it down in the process.

"Squall is never nice. He has never been nice. And he wouldn't know nice if it were to bite him on the butt!" she yelled at his back as he stalked out of the kitchen. "Are you listening to me, Squall?" She emphasized the name 'Squall,' hoping to get a rise out of him.

"It's Leon! And I hear you just fine. You're right, ya know. You are just a child," he spit the words at her. "In fact, I would go even a step further and say you're a brat!" He ducked out the door as the plate came crashing into it, shattering all over the floor.

Infuriated, Yuffie sat in her chair as the angry tears welled up in her eyes. "Of course, he's right. I am just a worthless brat," she murmured under her breath as she lowered her head onto the table and allowed the sobs to rack her small frame.

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Squall left the kitchen, hearing something crash into the door as it closed. He knew how close he had come to being beheaded by the plate. After all, she was a ninja, and a very good ninja at that, he admitted begrudgingly. "What set her off this time?" he wondered aloud as he walked through the palace halls, hoping to find something to ease the boredom. 

She hadn't been the same since they came back to Hollow Bastion. The change had come slowly, albeit, but it had come. At first, it was just simple things, like occasionally becoming depressed and retreating to her room for no reason. Then the yelling had started. She would become mad for something trivial. For example, when Squall teased her about being a child she would start yelling and shouting obscenities, but she would be back to normal within the hour. Lately, however, she had taken to throwing things and holding grudges for weeks at a time. In the beginning, Aerith had told Cloud and Squall it was simply teenage hormones causing the mood swings. _But would they do that for two years?_ Squall asked himself. _And would they become increasingly worse?_ He had to admit, he was starting to worry about the small ninja's mental health. _Maybe the strain of fighting the Heartless was too much on her. Or, maybe it's because the Heartless are gone and she doesn't have a way to release her anger, safely._ He shook his head, a headache starting to come because of the constant stress of worry. He had tried countless times to push these thoughts out of his head, but they haunted him. He was afraid he would wake up and find her gone. _But why would I care if she's gone? She's just a pest._ He sighed, _but she's my pest._

He spun around and began the trek back to the kitchen, intent on finding out what was wrong with her this time. He had to try and help her, even if she did hate him. He could not allow another person from his life be destroyed, even by their own hands. Becoming more anxious as disturbing images filled his head, he started to run, only to crash into something petite.

"Ow! Can't you watch where you're going, Squall?" Yuffie demanded as she rubbed her hip which had smashed onto the hard, stone floor. She arose slowly and painfully from the floor, and began to walk back down the hall to her room when Squall grabbed her arm, pulling her back to him. 

Squall noticed her red-rimmed eyes, realizing she must have been crying. "What's wrong, Yuffie?" he asked quietly, praying she would answer him and not hurt him.

She turned her head, looking longingly down the hall to her room. "You wouldn't understand. Now, please, let me go." She practically begged the last part.

"Try me," he whispered. She began to desperately attempt to wrench herself free from his grasp. He only held on tighter. And when she began to dig into his arms with her nails, he simply grabbed both of her wrists, leaving her unable to fight. "Tell me," he commanded gently.

"No," she hissed as she kneed him in the groin, causing him to release her as he fell to the ground, clutching himself and crying out in pain. "Don't ever try to stop me again, Squall. You might not live next time," she screamed at him as she ran to her room, slamming the door.

Squall lay there, moaning in pain when Cloud found him. The blonde looked at him for moment before asking, "What happened to you, Leon?"

"Yuffie," the Gunblade wielder hissed in pain as Cloud laughed at him before helping him to his feet.

"I can believe it. She seemed kind of pissed when she saw Aerith and I in the library earlier." Cloud started down the hall when Squall called to him.

"She got mad at you for being in the library?" he questioned, perplexed at why that would anger her.

"Yeah, she caught Aerith and I, and let's just say she didn't like what she saw." He left Squall leaning against the stone wall as he continued through the corridor to his room.

Squall pinched his nose with his thumb and forefinger in thought, trying desperately to put the puzzle pieces together. Running a hand through his shoulder-length russet hair, he gave up, knowing how mysterious the ninja could be. _And how dangerous, _he thought as he remembered the recent pain she had just bestowed upon him.

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After she slammed the heavy oaken door, Yuffie sank to the floor, leaning against it, trying unsuccessfully to hold back the returning tears. She hated herself for what she had done to Squall, but she was even more furious at him for pretending to care. "How could he?" she cried softly to herself. 

She continued to sit there and weep for what seemed like hours when she heard a soft knocking on her door. Quickly, she reached up from her position on the floor and locked the door. The person on the other side had heard the lock click and the knocking became more insistent, accompanied by a voice this time.

"Yuffie? Are you okay?" Aerith asked gently through the thick door.

The ninja choked down her sobs enough to answer the flower girl. "I'm fine. Now, please, leave me alone." _Please, I don't want to see anyone again, _she silently begged.

"Are you sure?" The door knob rattled as Aerith tried to open the door, finding it was locked. "Please let me in, Yuffie," she demanded gently.

"Please, Aerith, I want to be alone," Yuffie pleaded, desperation creeping into her voice.

"Okay, but, remember, if you ever want to talk about anything, I'm there for you." 

Yuffie nodded, forgetting that Aerith couldn't see the nod. She heard the light footsteps go down the hall as the flower girl left her room. Yuffie sighed in relief. 

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Author's Note: Okay, there it is. I will continue it, but the I have an exam on Monday so don't expect another chapter until Monday night at the very earliest. I have an idea where this is going, but you never know where the muse will take me. Also, please review and try and make a guess as to the question I posed in the disclaimer. I'll answer it in my next chapter. Until then, enjoy!


	2. Chapter Two

_Author's Note: _Okay, here's chapter 2. Thank you reviewers! Really, I shouldn't be writing this right now. I should be studying, I mean my exam tomorrow is worth 30 % of my final grade. But, I can't study because I'm not in the mood to study. Which means I will be cramming tonight and tomorrow morning. Anyways, enough rambling from me. 

BlueEyedDemon10: I read your story and I thought it was great. Personally, I think that my stories are horrible.

[Disclaimer: You know the drill. I don't own Kingdom Hearts or any of the characters.]

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_Chapter Two_

Yuffie stayed in her room until her stomach reminded her that she hadn't eaten since that morning, about twelve hours earlier. Well, actually she hadn't eaten then either, she had just drank a soda. So, obeying her hunger, she began the long walk through the winding halls to the kitchen, hoping she would make it there and back to her room without being detected. Upon reaching the kitchen doors, she discovered it was already occupied by none other than Squall. The ninja almost decided to come back later, but her stomach rumbled loudly, telling her it would not be denied. Cautiously, she slipped through the doors and made a bee line for the refrigerator without even glancing at the man eating at the table.

Squall lifted his gaze from his plate to look at her, noticing how she refused to acknowledge his presence. _Silent treatment, huh? Well, two can play that game,_ he silently mused as he continued to pick at the semi-edible leftover meatloaf Aerith had made the other night. He successfully gagged down another bite, all the while thinking that maybe someone else should take over the cooking duties since Aerith was apparently having difficulties with it. 

Acting oblivious to his presence, Yuffie carried a small container of strawberry yogurt and a spoon to the table and sat down at the other end, as far away from him as she could possibly get. Savoring each delectable bite of the smooth, creamy substance, she slowly finished her dinner without saying a word to the emotionless rock at the table. 

Still hungry, Yuffie began the search for more food, opening all the cabinets and shoving stuff around until she found her prize: a bag of chips. She sat back down and began to eat them, crunching loudly. Receiving an acidic glare from Squall, she innocently asked, "What?"

"Do you think you could possibly crunch a little louder? I can't quite hear it," he seethed, his azure eyes piercing her dark ones with anger.

Yuffie returned his glower, taking a chip and biting into it purposely loud. "Yeah, I think I can." She continued to crunch the chips, getting louder with each bite. She knew she was being childish, but she couldn't resist a chance to annoy Squall. 

"Oh, grow up, Yuffie!" The Gunblade wielder got up to leave the room when she answered him.

"I did. It's not my fault I had such a _great_ role model, like you." She watched him spin around furiously from the door to scowl at her.

Squall could barely control his anger. _Why do I let her get to me?_ he asked himself. "What is that supposed to mean?" he hissed, running a hand through his russet hair.

Before Yuffie could reply, the door swung open revealing Cloud and Aerith, arms wrapped around each other. They took in the scene, feeling the vibes in the air from both the ninja and the Gunblade wielder. "Um, are we interrupting something?" Aerith inquired tentatively, looking from Yuffie to Squall.

"No, I was just leaving." Squall stalked out of the now crowded kitchen, letting the door slam behind him. 

Cloud looked at the infuriated ninja questioningly, "What did we just miss?" 

"Nothing. Just Squall acting like his normal asshole self," Yuffie answered nonchalantly as she rose from her chair.

"Maybe Squall wouldn't act like a jerk if you wouldn't egg him on," Aerith said quietly from the pantry where she was pulling out a can of soup for her and Cloud.

Yuffie turned to glare at Aerith's back, wishing the flower girl would mind her own business. "Yeah, blame it all on me. Everything's always my fault, isn't it?" She began to leave the room, when she felt strong hands on her shoulders, pulling her back.

"You know very well that you provoke him, Yuffie," Cloud told her calmly as he turned her around to face him. "If you didn't act like a little bitch all the time, things would be a lot nicer here."

Aerith dropped the can of soup in her hand, eyes wide at what Cloud had just told the young ninja. Her hand flew to her mouth, "Cloud!" she hissed, stunned that he had said that.

Yuffie's eyes narrowed as she twisted out from under his hands. "You're right, Cloud. I am a bitch. And as a bitch, I have the right to do this!" She reared her hand back and slapped the blonde with all the force she could muster, leaving a burning red hand print on his cheek. She watched the shock come into his blue eyes before she turned and left the room, letting the angry tears she had pushed back to spill down her cheeks.

  


Cloud turned to Aerith, hand on his cheek to ease the burning sensation. "Did she just slap me?" he asked quietly, disbelief showing in his eyes.

"Yes, she did. And, frankly, you deserved it," the usually gently flower girl angrily told him, as she left the kitchen to chase after Yuffie.

"What about dinner?" the blonde called to her departing back.

"Fix it yourself, genius!" With that the door swung shut, leaving Cloud alone in the kitchen, trying to figure out what had just happened.

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Yuffie watched from the rafters in the hallway as Aerith ran searching for the young ninja, calling for her as she did so, never thinking to look up. As soon as the flower girl left her line of sight, Yuffie dropped soundlessly to the floor below and crept to the balcony to overlook Rising Falls; they had always had a calming effect on her nerves. She sighed and dried her tears, thinking about the past two years. They had been hellish on her. Everywhere she went she saw Cloud and Aerith wrapped around each other, making her realize how alone she was. She had no one, unless you counted her frigid fighting partner. She pushed the thought out of her head, whispering, "No, Yuffie. He doesn't love you, and he never will."

"Who doesn't love you?" Yuffie jumped, squealing as she saw the man in question walking over to her, stopping to lean on the rail beside her.

She ran a gloved hand nervously through her short ebony hair. "What are you doing here?" she demanded angrily, hoping against hope he would drop the subject.

He chuckled softly, his deep baritone laughter sending chills down Yuffie's body. "Am I not allowed up here?" He turned to look at her eyes, seeing the hurt that ran deep behind them. Yuffie turned to leave, when she felt a gentle hand fall on her shoulder, pulling her back. "Who doesn't love you?" he repeated, trying to find the answers in her pale face.

"Please, just let me go," she begged, looking down at the ground, unable to meet the piercing blue eyes gazing at her. She began to shake, knowing how weak she appeared to Squall.

"Yuffie, tell me," he demanded quietly, refusing to let her go this time. _Please, don't hurt me this time_, he silently pleaded with her.

Giving up, Yuffie took a deep breath and let it all come out. "You don't know what it's like, seeing them all the time. They're so in love and it hurts, knowing I can't be her, knowing I can't have love." By now, tears had welled up in her eyes, threatening to spill. She didn't realize that Squall had misunderstood her jealousy of Aerith. "And with Valentine's Day coming up, it just makes it worse," she whispered so softly that she scarce believed he had heard her.

Squall stood there stupefied at her confession, eyes wide. _She loves Cloud,_ he mistakenly thought as he turned her words over in his mind. While he was still in shock, Yuffie took her chance and left him on the balcony alone. Memories flashed through the man's brain, making him all the more certain of what he believed. He suddenly remembered what happened when Cloud returned.

_They had all been sitting in the library at Hollow Bastion, trying to come to terms with their painful memories of the past when Cid walked through the large doors calling for Aerith._

_ "Aerith! Aerith, come here. I have something you might want to see," the Gummi pilot yelled across the quiet room._

_ "Cid! Now really, this is a library. You should be..." Aerith never finished her sentence because by then Cid had stepped away, revealing a blonde man with a red cape behind him. The blue eyes gave him away instantly. Everyone except Yuffie stood in stunned silence._

_ "Cloud! You're back!" she had cried as she ran to him and tackled him, hugging the poor guy tightly. Cloud began making choking noises as the young ninja cut off his air supply_. _"Oops! Sorry Cloud," she had said sheepishly as she let him go, smiling her trademark grin at him._

_ Aerith shook her head, coming out of her shock as she walked slowly to him, a bright smile beginning to creep across her face. "Is it really you, Cloud?" she whispered, half expecting him to disappear in front of her._

_ He nodded as he closed the distance between them, picking her up and spinning around before he placed her feet back down on the floor and kissed her. Yuffie watched them for a moment before turning to look at Squall who was still leaning against the wall. As the stoic man turned his gaze to Yuffie, he noticed the light begin to fade from her eyes._

Coming out of his reverie, Squall realized that the day Cloud came home was the day the ninja had started to change. _I've been so stupid. These past two years she's been tortured because Cloud chose Aerith._ He slapped himself on the forehead in disgust at his own blindness. Leaving the balcony, he began to wonder why he was so depressed suddenly. _It can't because I love her, can it?_

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Author's Note: Well, there you have it. Squall's really stupid sometimes, isn't he? Oh well, that's why we all love him. Anyways, until next time my faithful readers.

Please, please, please review or I'll have to kill a character off in the next chapter. I'll do it, too. *crazy eyes* hehe


	3. Chapter Three

_Author's Note:_ Chapter three is up and running, hot off the presses. I just finished writing it. Also, I have a word of caution for anyone planning to attend college: Cramming and All-nighters do NOT work. I repeat, they do NOT work. I just took my first exam of the semester today, and let's just say it wasn't pretty. Anyways, read and review!

[Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts, although, at night, anytime Squall appears in my dreams, he belongs only to me! hehehe]

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_Chapter Three_

"She loves Cloud," Squall mumbled as he walked down the dark hall of Hollow Bastion, dazedly heading in the general direction of his room. Finally reaching it, he slowly walked in and shut the door behind him. He began to pace in front of his bed, agitation showing on his face. Running a gloved hand through his russet locks, he began to talk to himself.

"Why do I care? So she loves Cloud, who cares?" one half of his being said, but the other half would not be denied. "Because I love her," he murmured under his breath. The realization took him by surprise. When had this sudden change of feeling toward happen? _When did I stop seeing her as a brat, and begin to love her?_ he silently asked himself, still pacing. Remembering all the times he had been cruel to her, he winced. _She hates me, _he thought, _and it's all my fault._

Sighing the man lay on his bed, hoping for the sweet slumber that would help with his mental anguish. But his mind had other ideas, for sleep did not come until the breaking of the dawn, and, even then, it did not prove to be so sweet.

_"Where am I?" Squall asked the empty room. The low light barely lit up the dark room, the corners still remained a mystery. He spun around, searching for someone, anyone, just so he wouldn't be alone in this eerie place._

_ "You are in Purgatory," a melodious voice answered. The voice seemed so familiar to Squall, but he couldn't quite place it._

_"Purgatory? What do you mean by that?" he yelled to the mysterious voice. "And who are you?" _

_ "What's wrong, Squall? You don't even recognize my voice anymore. I thought you were better than that," the voice sneered, hatred beginning to seep into air._

_ He knew that voice, but it couldn't be, could it? "Yuffie?" he questioned timidly._

_ There was a maniacal laugh oozing from the air around him. "Wow, you actually remembered. I'm in shock."_

_ "Why am I here?" Growing angry, Squall began to stalk across the room, intent on finding a door to escape._

_ "In Purgatory?" Yuffie inquired ever so malevolently. "Simple, Squall. You have to relive every single time you were cruel to me. Every single time you called me names, or put me down. Every single time you hurt me." As she finished this, a movie screen appeared on the wall, a spotlight upon it. The memories of his cruelty to Yuffie began to play, like a film, and he was forced to watch. He tried to turn around, but the screen was on every wall. He shut his eyes, but the images ran through his mind._

_ Clutching his head with his hands, he began to scream. "Stop it! Please!" He continued to hold his hands to his head, as if trying to squeeze the scenes from his mind. "Please, I'm sorry, Yuffie. I'm so sorry," he cried softly._

_ "It's too late, Squall. You're in your own personal hell, now."_

Squall awoke with a start, frantically looking around the room. The dream had been so real, so vivid. And, Yuffie's voice was so full of hatred, it was hard to forget. He looked at his clock, only eight o' clock. Giving up on sleep, he struggled to his feet and prepared to meet the day. _If only I could redeem myself in her eyes, maybe she would forgive me, _he thought.

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Cloud was innocently walking through the corridors of Hollow Bastion, minding his own business when he saw Squall coming towards him. The blonde eyed him warily, since he appeared to be upset about something. And when Squall was upset, you didn't want to mess with him. Just when they were within reach of each other, Cloud opened his mouth, "Hey, Leon, are you--" but he was suddenly broken off when Squall's fist smashed into his face.

"Ow!" the blonde yelled as he clutched his now broken and bloody nose. "Damn it, Leonheart!" The blonde's hand curled into a fist as he prepared to return the gift Squall had so generously bestowed upon him, when Aerith came waltzing around the corner.

Taking in the scene in front of her, the pink-clad lady ran to the two men, hoping to stop the fight before someone was killed. "Oh my gosh! What are you two doing?" By now, she was standing between the glaring men, trying to keep them apart. "Cloud, are you okay?" she asked worriedly as she tried to examine his nose.

"Move out of the way, Aerith!" Cloud hissed. "Leon and I have some unfinished business." He began to gently push his beloved to the side, but she refused to budge.

"I'm not moving until you tell me what is going on." She planted her hands on her hips, anger and disbelief showing on her face. She looked back and forth between the men, eyes demanding an answer. Her green eyes finally settled on Cloud. "What happened?"

Cloud glowered at the man across from him, then looked at Aerith with his angry blue eyes. "Ask him. I was just walking through here when he hit me." The blonde pointed to the still angry Squall.

Aerith turned her gaze to the man in question, "Well?"

Squall refused to answer, narrowing his eyes at Cloud before he stalked off. Cloud began to follow him, planning on many ways to kill the Gunblade wielder, but Aerith held him back and pulled him to the kitchen, shaking her head and muttering something about ice packs and testosterone.

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Oblivious to the fight that had occurred only a few moments ago in the very hallway where she was walking, Yuffie strolled to the kitchen, only to find Cloud holding an ice pack to his nose while Aerith searched the cabinets for a pain reliever. The ninja's eyes widened in shock, wondering if it were Squall or Aerith who had injured the blonde. She finally decided it had to have been Squall because Aerith would never raise a finger to her beloved no matter how annoying he could be.

"So, anything interesting happen this morning?" Yuffie asked, smirking and enjoying the sight of Cloud in obvious pain.

Cloud rolled his blue eyes at her before he gave her a muffled answer through the ice pack. "No, what makes you think that?"

Yuffie threw her head back and laughed, only to have both the blonde and the flower girl turn and glare at her. "No, really, what happened?" she inquired again, barely holding back for giggles.

"Ah-ha!" Aerith yelled, finally finding the much searched for pain killer. She handed Cloud two tablets and a glass of water before answering the ninja's question. "Leon hit him."

"I figured that much. But why?" Yuffie persisted.

"That we don't know. Cloud said he just came up and punched him for no reason." Aerith sighed before continuing. "And Leon didn't answer when I asked him."

At this, the blonde stood up from his seat and threw the ice pack down, revealing an already purple bruise forming where his nose once was. "I'm going to find that bastard and return the favor," he bellowed as he stalked out of the kitchen, slamming the door before Aerith could calm him down.

Yuffie looked at the woman in shock, "Aren't you going to stop him?" She knew that Cloud would kill Squall if he got the chance.

"No, Yuffie, I'm not." Aerith's voice took a tone of disgust. "They're grown men. I can't go around stopping fights all the time. If they want to kill each other, then let them." She turned back to the cabinet and took two pain killers for the migraine that was forming.

Stunned, the ninja just sat there and stared at the usually gentle flower girl, not knowing what to say. "Um...okay...if you think that's best," she stammered as she turned to leave Aerith alone in the now quiet kitchen.

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Squall stood on the balcony overlooking Rising Falls, thinking about what he had just done. He hadn't been planning on attacking Cloud like that, but the memory of what Yuffie had told him the night before made him suddenly want to lash out, to hurt the man he thought _his_ ninja loved. Still deep in thought, he heard quiet footsteps coming from the doorway. _Only one person can be that quiet_, he mused.

"Hey, Yuffie," he called out from the corner he was standing in. 

The ninja jumped, placing a hand on her chest as she looked around for him. She could have sworn the balcony was empty, but there, in the far corner, was Squall, leaning on the railing. "You scared me, I didn't think anyone was out here." She turned to leave, when he called her back.

"Don't leave," he begged, hoping he didn't sound as desperate as he felt. A perplexed expression came over her face as she stopped and spun around to see what he wanted. "I was wondering if you wanted to...I don't know...do something today?" he managed to falter.

The ninja's mind began to work quickly, trying to decipher his tone to see if he was up to something. _He sounds as though he genuinely wants to hang out with me, _she thought. "Like what?" she demanded, trying not to sound too excited by the prospects of doing something with him.

"I don't know. Hide from Cloud?" He began to chuckle, "You did see Cloud today, didn't you?"

She nodded. "What did you to him? And why?"

"It's hard to explain, I..." he trailed off, not knowing where to start. He was about to try again, when they heard the heavy footsteps of an angry blonde coming from the corridor. Squall grabbed Yuffie's hand and pulled her through the door, trying to think of someplace they could go and hide. "Come on, I'll tell you later. Right now, we better run."

Yuffie let herself be dragged along, still wondering what had caused Squall's sudden change of heart. She stifled a giggle as Cloud spotted them.

"Leon, you can run, but you can't hide," the blonde shouted as both Squall and Yuffie flew through the winding halls of Hollow Bastion, successfully losing Cloud.

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Author's Note: Okay, there you go. I hope to have another chapter up by tomorrow, possibly late tonight. Sorry for hurting Cloud, I couldn't help it. Anyways, Read and, most importantly, REVIEW!


	4. Chapter Four

_Author's Note: _I keep forgetting to thank the reviewers, so I'll say it now. THANK YOU! I would name you all personally, but that would take too much time, so I'll do that at the end of the last chapter when I finish, Okay? Anyways, I'm glad everyone likes the story so far. 

[Disclaimer: Do you really need this? Okay, here goes, I DO NOT own Kingdom Hearts. I never will own it, no matter how much I want to.]

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_Chapter Four_

Squall and Yuffie ran out of the palace of Hollow Bastion, hoping to find someplace where Cloud would never dream of them being. The ninja still wondered about the fight Squall had instigated with the blonde, but assumed he would tell her about it if and when he was ever ready. But, for now, she was simply enjoying his company; he was actually acting human with her today. 

Breaking the silence that had fallen between them since going outside, Squall asked, "So, where should we go?" He looked back at her, seeing the perkiness that had been gone from her eyes had finally returned. 

"Hm? What did you say?" She was having a hard time paying attention, so lost in her own thoughts, trying to decide if Squall was being nice because he was after something. She wouldn't put it past him to use people for his own benefit.

"Where should we go now?" he repeated. 

Yuffie furrowed her eyebrows in thought, "I have no idea," she finally admitted. Really, there were lots of places she would like to go with him, but she felt he wouldn't agree to being seen in public with her. "We could try the castle again. Maybe Cloud has given up his search by now."

The brunette laughed at the ninja's suggestion, "I think Cloud has murder on his mind. Unless you want me dead, we should stay away from the palace." 

She tapped her chin in thought for a moment before answering him. "Well, what about the waterway under the castle? I don't think he'll go down there," she suggested.

Squall thought about it for a minute, then nodded. "You're right, he never goes down there." He took her arm and led her to the lift stop that would take them to base level, where one entrance to the waterway existed. 

Once down there, Yuffie couldn't stand it any longer. "Okay, spill!" she demanded.

Confused, the Gunblade wielder looked at her, urging her to continue. "Come on! Why did you break Cloud's nose?" She tapped her foot impatiently.

Before answering, Squall heard a small, nagging voice in his head, _she's worried about Cloud because she loves him._ Shaking his head, his stoic demeanor returned, replacing the little bit of emotion he had shown towards her this morning. "It was nothing. I'd rather not talk about," he told her coldly.

The sparkle that had just so recently returned to her dark eyes faded abruptly, leaving the dullness that had been slowly taking them over for the past two years. "Come to think of it, Squall, I think I'll be returning to the castle." She spun around quickly, so he wouldn't see the tears welling up in her eyes.

"It's Leon," he called angrily to her retreating back. _There she goes, back to comfort Cloud, probably. Maybe it's better this way,_ one half of his warring mind told him, while the other was desperately telling him to chase after her and tell her. _What? Tell her that I love her? She'll just throw it back in my face._ So he turned his back to her, and continued into the waterway by himself.

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Once Yuffie reached the entrance to the castle, she trekked down the halls to her room, intent on taking a nap to try and forget what had just happened. _I don't get it. One minute he can be so nice, and the next, it's like he's some kind of monster. What set him off this time?_ she silently mused, allowing the stubborn tears to fall. She quickly dried them, however, when she heard a voice calling her.

"Yuffie, where's Leon?" Cloud demanded angrily, his nose swollen and purple. His blue eyes had taken on a furiousness to them that she didn't know they could possess, seeming to pierce into her very soul.

For a moment, Yuffie pondered on whether to tell him where Squall was, or to protect the man she had secretly loved for many years. "He's down in the waterway. You know, the one under the castle. He said he was going to hide there from you." She sung like a canary, her anger with the man allowing her to squeal on him without any remorse.

The blonde's eyes widened for a moment. He didn't truly believe she would tell him where the Gunblade wielder was, but since she did, he planned to take advantage of it. "Thanks, Yuf," he called over his shoulder as he ran toward the entrance to the waterway, ready to take his revenge.

"No problem," she happily yelled back. Now, with a smile on her face she headed for her room, still wanting to take that nap. Yawning, she thought about how little sleep she had been getting lately. Her thoughts of what couldn't be running through her head, keeping her awake for countless hours every night. Not to mention the dreams that always jolted her out of sleep when she had just succumbed to the sweet slumber. 

Finally reaching her door, she walked in and changed into a pair of pajamas. She didn't care if it was the middle of the day, she wanted to be comfortable while she tried to sleep. Laying down, sleep came surprisingly fast. As soon as her head hit the pillow, she was dead to the waking world around her.

_The room was dark, like it always was when this particular dream came. Yuffie stood in the middle, knowing what was going to happen. She relived it every night in her dreams. As if on cue, the yellow eyes appeared, glaring at the young ninja standing stock still, praying to awaken before the nightmare progressed too far._

_ "Please, let me wake up," she begged to no one as the creatures began to approach her. She could just barely make out their horrendous claws as her eyes adjusted to the darkness. "Come on, Yuffie, wake up," she called as she pinched her arm. Nothing, the dream would continue, as it always did._

_ Suddenly, she wasn't alone anymore, but the presence was unwelcome just the same. A man stood beside her in the darkened room. She turned to him, begging, "Please Squall, help me." She knew what his answer would be, it was always the same._

_ "Why should I? If I save you, you're just going to be a nuisance to me." With that he turned and walked toward the wall, watching her as she cringed from his words. _

_ "But I love you, Squall. I need you. I don't want to be alone anymore, please help me." She fell to her knees, pleading with the emotionless man who simply ignored her. Feeling the scratching of the claws on her bare arms, she began screaming helplessly, knowing no one would save her._

Yuffie hit the floor as she rolled off the bed, taking the covers that had tangled around her legs with her. She clutched her head that had banged into the bedside table as she crawled back onto the mattress. Curling into a fetal position, she began to cry softly, like she always did after this dream, knowing there was no one there to comfort her. _I'm alone, so alone, _she thought as the tears refused to stop flowing from her pained eyes.

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In the kitchen, Squall and Cloud glared at each other over the table as Aerith quickly pulled out an ice pack from the freezer. She roughly handed it to the brunette, disgusted with the two men's bickering. Squall lifted the ice pack tenderly to his bruised and swollen shut left eye.

"Okay, children, this is going to stop right now!" Aerith lectured. "We're not leaving this room until we solve our problems. Understood?" Her bright green eyes glowered at them, daring one of them to cause problems.

Cloud spoke up first. "Well, I fixed the problem now. We're even." He gestured towards Squall eye as he said this.

Aerith turned her furious gaze on the blonde. "That's not what I meant, and you know it," she seethed through clenched teeth, surprising herself with the anger that had come out of nowhere. 

"Um...are you okay, Aerith?" Squall asked timidly, afraid she might take his head off with a single swipe. He had never seen the flower girl this pissed off. _Things must be really bad around here,_ he thought to himself.

The pink-clad lady's eyes narrowed at him, boring holes into his azure eyes. "I'm fine. The problem is everyone else. I really don't need this right now, not while I'm trying to deal with Yuffie as well." She rubbed her temples, attempting to force the migraine away. "Now, what has gotten into you two? You used to be such good friends," she almost sounded like a disappointed mother, upset because her kids are squabbling amongst themselves.

"He started it," Cloud yelled, pointing to Squall.

Aerith slammed her fist down on the table. "I don't care who started it, but I'm going to end it right now!" she screamed. Both men cowered under her wrath. She made sure she had their attention before she continued. "For the next week, you two will be doing all the chores. Including the cooking."

Squall looked at her, smirking. "You can't make us do anything, we're grown men."

"Wanna bet?" she growled. They both shook their heads, scared into submission. Aerith smiled, and said happily, "Good, now if you excuse me, I have some shopping to do." And with that, she skipped out of the room, leaving the men behind.

The brunette turned his gaze to Cloud, pitying him. "Damn, Cloud, I'm glad I'm not you."

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Author's Note: Okay, well, that chapter seemed kinda short to me, but oh well. I couldn't really put much more into it. I know, I know, Aerith is getting out of character, but come on, she can't really be that nice all the time, now can she? Let's just say that the fight between Cloud and Squall was the straw that broke the camel's back. Anyways, that little review button down there would really appreciate it if you would press it.

  



	5. Chapter Five

_Author's Note: _Okay, here's the scoop. I was inspired, so I finished this story. I hope everyone enjoyed it. I will thank each reviewer personally at the bottom. Enjoy!

[Disclaimer: No, I don't own anything.]

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_Chapter Five_

Yuffie lay on her bed, looking at the glaring red numbers on her clock. 11:34. _Only twenty-six minutes til Valentine's Day, _she thought bitterly. She really didn't want the day to come, but it was unavoidable. Remembering the past week, her lip curled in disgust. 

_She had come out of her room the other day to find Cloud and Squall cooking. Thinking it was kind of strange, she asked, "Um...what are you guys doing?"_

_ Squall turned around and glared at her through his black eye. Yuffie gasped at the sight, realizing that Cloud had actually found him. "If you can't tell, maybe you need some glasses," he snarled._

_ "Sheesh, it was only a question, Squall--"_ _she was broken off by the look of rage passing in his eyes._

_ "LEON!" he shouted, slamming the pan he had been holding down on the stove, spilling water everywhere._

_ Trying to ignore his outburst, she decided to try Cloud, he was generally more human. "Cloud, why are you guys doing the cooking?" She hoped that at least someone would answer her since Aerith was no where around to take pity on the poor ninja._

_ The blonde slowly turned around, allowing her to see how bruised his nose had become over the course of the day. "We're being punished," he admitted sheepishly._

_ "Punished?" Yuffie couldn't imagine anyone brave enough to punish these two men._

_ Cloud sighed, knowing how ridiculous it sounded. "Yeah, Aerith got mad at us for fighting and said we had to do all the chores for a week." _

_ Yuffie began laughing hysterically. "Aerith punished you two?" she managed to gasp out between guffaws. Remembering Squall's eye, asked Cloud, "I take it you found Squall this morning, huh?"_

_ "Leon," came the angry voice from the stove._

_ The blonde chuckled, "Yeah, but I wouldn't have found him if you hadn't of told me where he was hiding."_

_ It seemed as though time stopped for a moment, Yuffie sucked in a deep breath to prepare for the onslaught from Squall. He spun around angrily, azure eyes raging as the centered on her. "You told him?" he hissed._

_ Yuffie gulped, nodding, trying to explain, "Yeah, um, well...it was an accident, Squall...I didn't mean..." _

_ "It's Leon," he seethed, "and thanks a lot, brat!" The kitchen door slammed shut as he said the last part, leaving Yuffie and Cloud alone in the kitchen. _

_ The ninja stood in stunned silence for a moment, before getting a hold of herself and leaving as well, trying to hide the tears from Cloud. As she left the kitchen, she heard the blonde mutter, "Great, now I have to cook dinner by myself."_

For the next five days, Yuffie avoided everyone. Mostly, she stayed in her room, only coming out for food when she was sure no one was awake. Aerith had come to her door countless times, trying to coax the ninja out, having no luck. The closer it came to Valentine's Day, the more sure Yuffie became about what she had to do. She had it all planned out and she would do it when the clock struck midnight, signaling the official start of the accursed day.

When the time came, she cautiously opened her door, hoping against hope that no one would see her and try to stop her. They would all be better off after she was finished. She silently crept to the balcony where she had come so many times before for the calming effect of Rising Falls. Leaning against the rail, she looked over and saw how far it was too the bottom. _Yes, _she thought, _it's quite far enough._ She carefully climbed onto the rail, preparing for the jump.

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Squall had a bad feeling about this night. He couldn't describe the emotion, but it felt as though something bad were about to happen. He had been lying in bed, trying to sleep when this feeling of dread came, and he couldn't ignore it. Roaming the hallways quietly, he tried to figure out what was making him so nervous, but to no avail. Just when he was giving up and going back to bed, he suddenly felt a pull toward Yuffie's room. Obeying his instincts, he made his way there, finding the door open but the ninja gone.

"Where did she go?" he whispered softly, wondering if she had anything to do with the strange feeling he had this night. Thinking she may have gone to the kitchen for a snack, he began to head in that direction. _You have to tell her, Leon,_ his mind told him. He hadn't seen her since that day in the kitchen, and he missed her. _It's now or never._

As he was passing the balcony, he saw a shadow out of the corner of his eye. Giving it his full attention, he saw a figure climbing onto the railing, oblivious to the danger. Before he could make a conscious decision, he was out there, pulling Yuffie by her waist back from the edge, causing her to squeal in surprise.

He spun her around, making her face him before speaking. "Yuffie, what were you doing?" he asked, fearing the answer.

She looked around before finally meeting his gaze. He could see so much pain in her dark eyes, it seemed as though she had lost all her will to live. "I'm so tired of being alone, I just wanted to end it all," she whimpered as she struggled to free herself from his grasp.

Squall looked at the small ninja, desperately trying to think of something to say that would ease her mind. "Cloud's not worth dying over, Yuffie," he finally whispered as his grip on her shoulders tightened, knowing how close he had come to losing her.

Her eyes widened in surprise, "Cloud? What are you talking about?" _What does Cloud have to do with anything?_ she asked herself. 

Sighing, the Gunblade wielder elaborated, "The other night, you said you wished you were Aerith, remember?"

"Yeah, because she has someone that loves her and I have no one," she admitted, feeling another wave of depression hit her. "Now, please, let me go," she cried as she tried to wrench herself free from his grip. 

It was Squall's turn to act surprised. _She doesn't love Cloud, _his mind sang happily before he was able to speak again. "Wait a minute! You're not in love with Cloud?"

"No." Confusion marred her pale face as she looked at Squall like he was insane. "Squall, are you okay?" She reached up a shaky hand and placed it on his forehead, feeling for a fever.

The touch of her hand on his brow sent sweet chills through his body. "Then why were you so happy when he returned?" he persisted.

"Because he's one of my best friends and like a brother to me." _Okay, Squall has finally lost his mind. I knew it was only going to be a matter of time before the stress got to him. Maybe I should go get Aerith–, _her thoughts were interrupted by Squall's voice.

"But the other night, you were talking to yourself and you said that he doesn't love you. I thought you were talking about Blondie." Yuffie blushed, her face turning various shades of crimson as she tried to avoid his piercing gaze. "Who were you talking about?" he demanded softly.

"You," she whispered as she looked down at the ground, knowing that it was only a matter of seconds before he told her how foolish she was and let her finish the job she had come out here to do. But his hands never left her shoulders, so she lifted her face to his, questioningly.

He stood in shock. _She had been talking about me. How could I have been so stupid?_ He mentally kicked himself. "Y-you were t-talking about me?" he stuttered quietly, hoping he had heard her right. She closed her eyes and nodded. "Why didn't you tell me?" he prodded.

"Because you hate me and I didn't want to give you something else to hold over my head," she whispered softly, the pained look in her eyes growing deeper as she lowered her head.

He took one hand off her shoulder and gently lifted her chin, forcing her to look at him. "I don't hate you, Yuffie. I could never hate you," he murmured so quietly that she could hardly hear him. But she did feel his lips when they kissed her forehead. And she did feel it when his arms encircled her, pulling her into his chest. And over the sound of his heartbeat pounding in her ear, she could have sworn she heard the words, "I love you."

That was when the sobs came, wracking her body as she just let it all out, not caring if her tears soaked through his shirt. "Why are you crying?" he asked ever so gently, stroking her back to calm her.

She sniffled loudly and tried to compose herself enough to be able to talk. "I-, I nearly killed myself be-, because I thought you hated me," she cried, tightening her grip on his shirt.

"Shh, it's okay now," he soothingly whispered as he rested his chin upon her head, thinking himself how close he came to losing _his_ ninja. Rocking her gently, he continued to rub her back as she let all the past two years' pain come out.

She finally dried her eyes and looked up to meet his gaze, "So, um, you punched Cloud because you thought I loved him?" 

Squall smiled gently, "Yeah, I was just so angry that I couldn't help it."

Yuffie squinted in the dark, trying to see his eye. "How's your eye?"

"It's better, it's still bruised, but it's better." Feeling the cold wind whistle through the air, he pulled the now shivering Yuffie toward the door. "Come on, let's go inside, it's getting cold."

She walked with him, leaning her head against his shoulder as they went. "It's Valentine's Day, you know," she told him slyly.

"Really, is that so?" He leaned down to kiss her, capturing her lips with his own and pulling her towards him. He backed her up against a wall and continued the assault, moving down to her throat as she ran her fingers through his tangled locks.

"Ahem," someone coughed from behind them. Both Yuffie and Squall jumped apart to find Cloud and Aerith watching them. The blonde had a smirk on his face while the flower girl was smiling gently. "So, what are you two doing up this late? Or do we want to know?" Cloud asked laughingly.

  


"Blondie, unless you want another nose job, I suggest you move along," the Gunblade wielder growled, glaring at the two interrupters. He noticed that Aerith had grabbed Cloud's arm and was dragging him back down the hall to their room. Turning back to the ninja against the wall, Squall asked, "Now, where were we before we were so rudely interrupted?" But, Yuffie didn't answer, she simply grabbed the collar of his jacket, pulling his face down level with hers so she could kiss him herself.

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Author's Note: It's finished! I hope everyone has enjoyed this story. Now it's time to say thank you to all my faithful reviewers.

BlueEyedDemon10

Cookie

Snowri

KiraeLIX6969

Annjirika: Yeah, I do have a twisted mind, don't I?

Dry Tears

DBH

GalWivAGunblade

Carebear

Taryn

Vulpes Lapis: Happy Half-Birthday!

Okay, I think that was everyone. If I missed you, I'll say thank you right now! Okay, well, until my next story idea comes or until I find termites for the writer's block on The Curse. 


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